Topics and Outcomes

Modern smart phones provide offer the opportunity to learn about many advanced issues in computing. Besides having interesting system architectures, they also typically come with a variety of networking
interfaces which are integral to their use and they also support sophisticated forms of user input such as
multi-touch screens, accelerometer-based inputs, forced-feedback controls, cameras, microphones, etc.
This course will cover how to write programs for the iPhone-based and Android-based phones and tablets as well as HTML 5 for mobile devices.
Topics we will cover include larger scale project development with testing in both a simulator and on a device, working with small screen UI components, handling touch events, storing and retrieving data from device storage mechanisms, using device Graphics APIs, and using networking and telephony APIs of the devices. Student projects will be done using Objective-C and XCode for the iPhone and using Java and Eclipse for Android. Several years ago Google graciously donated several phones to our department which we will make use of for testing Android programs or you can use your own device; we will also have access to a cart of 15 iPads. By the end of this course you should be able to do the following student learning outcomes: (1) Create a working mobile phone application and test it both in a simulator and on a mobile device. (2) Write a mobile application that involves GUI components and makes use of touch events to manipulate these components. (3) Write a mobile application that uses the mobile devices Networking or Telephony APIs. (4) Write a mobile application that uses a either the camera, location, or device graphics API. (5) Write a mobile application that stores program data persistently using an API like sqlite.

Below is a tentative time table for when we'll do things this quarter:

Grading

Homeworks and Quizzes

40%

Project

20%

Midterm

15%

Final

25%

Total

100%

For CS185c grades will be calculated in the following manner: The person or persons with the
highest aggregate score
will receive an A+. A score of 55 will be
the cut-off for a C-. The region between
this high and low score will be
divided into eight equal-sized regions. From the top region to the low region,
a score falling within a region
receives the grade: A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-. If the boundary between an
A and an A- is 85, then the score
85 counts as an A-. Scores below 55 but above 50 receive the grade D.
Those below 50 receive the
grade F. For CS286-1 grades will be determined in the same manner but the range from the high score
to 55 into five equal sized regions from A to B-. For scoring both classes will be treated independently.

If you do better than
an A- in this class and want me to write you a letter of recommendation, I will generally
be willing provided
you ask me within two years of taking my course.
Be advised that I write better letters if I know you to some degree.

Homework and Project Info

This semester we will have four homeworks, weekly quizzes, and a larger scale project. Every Monday that we meet this semester, except the first day of class; there will be a
quiz on the previous week's material. The answer to the quiz will either be multiple choice or true-false, and will basically make sure you reviewed the previous weeks notes. Each quiz is worth a maximum of 1pt. Out of the total of thirteen quizzes this semester, I will keep your ten best scores.

I will try to keep the homeworks relatively short this semester. Their intent is to get people up to speed in iPhone and Android programming.
In addition to the homeworks, there will a larger scale project that people are expected to complete by the end of the semester. For this project, students will have to turn in progress reports and demo their code throughout the semester. On the last day of class, there will be a demo day where people show off their work to their peers. For the project, development will be for the platform the student prefers from amongst: iPhone, Android.

If you are interested the Cinequest Film Festival, they have a project to create an iPad/tablet port of their app using HTML 5. If you want to work on this project, please let me know. We will meet with the Cinequest people once a week in addition to class times to discuss progress on the update.

Links to the current list of homeworks, quizzes, and projects can be found on the left hand frame of the class homepage. After an homework has been returned a link to its solution (based on the best student solutions) will be placed off the homework page. Material from assignments may appear on midterms and
finals. For homeworks and projects you are encouraged to work in groups of up to three people.
Only one person out of this group needs to submit the homework assignment; however,
the members of the group need to be clearly identified in all submitted files.
Homeworks for this class will be submitted and returned completely electronically. To submit an assignment click on the submit homework
link for your section on the left hand side of the homepage and filling out the on-line
form. Hardcopies or e-mail versions of your assignments will be rejected and not receive
credit. Homeworks will always be due by the start of class on
the day their due. Late homeworks will not be accepted and missed quizzes cannot be made up; however, your lowest score amongst the four homeworks and your quiz total will be dropped.

When doing the programming part of an assignment please make sure to adhere to the
specification given as closely as possible. Names of files should be as given, etc.
Failure to follow the specification may result in your homework not being graded and
you receiving a zero for your work.

Exams

The midterms will be during class time on:
Mar 21.

The final will be: 5:15-7:30pm, Monday, May 21.

All exams are closed book,
closed notes and in this classroom. You will
be allowed only the test and your pen or pencil on your desk during these
exams. Beeper or cell-phone interruptions will result in immediate excusal
from the test. The final will
cover material from the whole quarter although there will be an emphasis on
material after the last midterm. No make ups will be given. The final exam
may be scaled to replace a midterm grade if it was missed under provably
legitimate circumstances. These exams will test whether or not you
have mastered the material both presented in
class or assigned as homework during the quarter. My exams usually consist
of a series of essay style questions. I try to avoid
making tricky problems. The week before each exam I will give out a
list of problems representative of the level of difficulty of problems the
student will be expected to answer on the exam. Any disputes concerning
grades on exams should be directed to me, Professor Pollett.

Regrades

If you believe an error was made in the grading of your program or exam, you
may request in person a regrade from me, Professor Pollett,
during my office hours. I do not accept e-mail requests for
regrades.
A request for a regrade must be made no more than a week after the homework or a midterm is
returned. If you cannot find me before the end of the semester and you would like to request a
regrade of your final, you may see me in person at the start of the immediately following
semester.

Academic Honesty

Your own commitment to learning, as evidenced by your enrollment at
San Jose State University, and the University's Academic Integrity
Policy requires you to be honest in all your academic
course work. Faculty members are required to report all infractions
to the Office of Student Conduct and Ethical Development. The policy on
academic integrity can be found at
http://sa.sjsu.edu/student_conduct.

Specifically, for this class, you should obviously not cheat on tests. For homeworks,
you should not discuss or share code or problem solutions between groups!
At a minimum a 0 on the assignment or test will be given. A student
caught using resources like Rent-a-coder will receive
an F for the course and be referred to University for disciplinary action.

Additional Policies and Procedures

I have created a discussion group for this class which I encourage students to use for
asking questions that others might benefit from knowing the answer to.
If you know the answer to a question, and the answer
does not involve sharing a program solution feel free to answer it on the board. If possible I
will answer questions through the board as well. Let's keep the tone on the board
positive and encouraging. I will monitor posts and reserve the right to deny posting
privileges if message tones become uncivil.

The campus policy to ensure compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act is:
"If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, or if you need special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please make an
appointment with me as soon as possible, or see me during office hours. Presidential Directive 97-03 requires that students with disabilities register with DRC to
establish a record of their disability."

More information about SJSU policies and procedures can be found at the following links: